Summary of Student Discussions on Effective Strategies for Reaching a Campus Audience

Summary of Student Discussions (DOC - 575 KB)

Information developed from a series of conversations with college students:

• Tips for creating a fact sheet and ads:
  • Make sure it is geared to a visual audience. 
  • Include a graphic rendering (pie charts, bar graphs). 
  • Make it to the point. Avoid text-heavy documents.
  • Use statistics about life/death (“1=8” or “18 people die each day because there are not enough organs available for transplant”).

• Be creative with marketing; rather than passing out flyers, pass out stickers or buttons.

• Real-life examples work well – presented as creatively as possible.

• Myths about donation are a legitimate factor in college students’ hesitation to become organ donors (as noted by Thomas Feeley in a HRSA-funded research grant. 
  • One common myth is: “A doctor would be less likely to save your life if he/she knows you’re an organ donor.”
  • Make negating false assumptions about organ donation part of your campaign.
    

• Competitions are great motivators (e.g., Buckeye/Wolverine Challenge). 
  • Consider holding a competition on a more micro-level on the campus itself (e.g., between dorms, halls, fraternities/sororities, or classes). 
  • Prizes are always key – think of something desirable for the winning group. 

• Capitalize on sports rivalries whenever possible. 
  • Hold a design/logo competition. Engage faculty/campus leaders to devote a day to market it to the students and have them draft a logo, tagline, poster, etc. and see what they come up with. 
    
    
• Make a big public announcement to launch the campaign at a special event.
  
  
• Post your message everywhere! Emails, posters, table tents, speakers, student groups, flyers, donation stations, media releases.

• Giveaways and promos are great incentives. People will go out of their way to get a giveaway and in exchange they will learn something about what you’re trying to do/promote.
  • Food is always a great giveaway. 
  • Gift certificates from local businesses that rely heavily on the college population are a good idea. 
  • Other suggestions: pens, practical things, t-shirts, post-its, stuffed animals, wiffle ball sets, beach balls, Frisbees. 
    
    
• Music tends to attract college students’ attention as well.

• If college students get an “impersonal” email from the university or an unknown professor, it is largely overlooked, particularly if it is text-heavy. If the email is personalized (from a student organization, or a professor whom the student knows) it is much better received. This is particularly true at larger colleges.

• Information tables:
  • Use an interactive game or quiz to engage people (see Campus Tip Sheet).
  • Play a video or music – this is likely to catch people’s attention even if they don’t know the person behind the table. 
  • Make sure that the information you have at the table is quick and to the point (e.g., use bullet points on bookmark-sized paper); unless already engaged, a student won’t stop to read a full page. 
  • It is a good idea to piggyback with events that students would attend anyway (meals, sporting events, etc).

• “Street teams” (students distributing information) can be effective. Perhaps use a street team while there is a table set up nearby – again, the idea of being everywhere at once. 

• Social marketing (see Guide to Social Media Marketing): 
  • Many campuses and students use Facebook as their primary means of communication.
  • Another good site is YouTube, where you can post a student-created or professional video. 

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